This invention relates to data and logic elements for a central processor using atomic-scale or near-atomic-scale structures.
In conventional computers, electrical charge or its absence represent the 0's and 1's used in the binary language of data storage. In a quantum computer, the energy levels of individual particles or clusters of particles would represent the information. According to quantum mechanics, such energy levels are discrete states. Thus, the ground or down state would represent a 0 and the excited or up state would represent a 1.
There is presently no satisfactory physical implementation for the data and logic elements of a central processor using atomic-scale or near-atom-scale structures. Such an implementation would be needed to build processors which are smaller and faster than any which can be built in existing semiconductor transistor technology.